Free help available for tax return chore

Published 10:21 am, Saturday, March 9, 2013

Ready or not — it’s here! It is time to file our tax returns. This seems to be something we all dread but are so relieved when our returns are filed before April 15.

There is free help available to get this chore completed. Swisher County RSVP has been providing tax preparation help for a number of years through AARP Tax-Aide. This free tax help is for taxpayers with low and middle income with special attention to those aged 60 and older.

If you are interested, call 995-2104 for an appointment. The service is provided on Thursdays only. The Swisher County Computer Lab is located at 321 S.W. Second St. in Tulia. When you call for an appointment, the RSVP staff will provide information on what documents to bring to your appointment. Spanish-speaking volunteers are available.

Tulia RSVP has already provided assistance this year to residents in Tulia, Plainview, Dimmitt, Lockney, Floydada and other area communities. If you need this assistance, call the Tulia RSVP office soon.

Other free tax return help for persons living in this area is available. In Lubbock the Coalition of Community Assistance Volunteers provides free income tax preparation through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. The Coalition was created in 2002 to help low-income residents of the South Plains become more financially self-sufficient. They can be contacted at 806-687-2228 or www.freetaxprep4u.org.

Also, the Texas Tech School of Law provides assistance with tax returns for low-income people in this area. Call 800-420-8037 for more information.

And when your tax return is filed, let out a big sigh of relief and smile. That’s what I plan to do!

Through an education grant received from Susan G. Komen for the Cure, RSVP will travel to Lockney on Monday, March 11, to host a Lunch-and-Learn event. Information on breast health will be provided along with lunch. Nicki Logan and Charlotte Thurman, RSVP volunteers, are survivors and they will share their journeys with those in attendance.

The event for ladies will be held at noon in the Hospice Hands of West Texas Dove Room, 305 N. Main, in Lockney. If you can attend, call Rosie Rendon at 652-3002 or Elsa Cooper at 292-2265. You may also call the RSVP office at 291-1224. We hope to see you there!

The RSVP Advisory Council will meet at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 12, at the Hale County Senior Citizens Center, 1107 Smyth, Plainview. Also, the February and March birthdays will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 13, at McDonald’s Restaurant. Call the RSVP office if you will be able to attend.